Sunday 20 November 2011

Paris Post Deux: Snapshots

Two weeks ago today, Zoe and I were relaxing with a hot chocolate back in our hotel room after a busy afternoon wandering around the wonderful Jardin des Tuilieries, which stretch alongside the River Seine with the Louvre at one end and the Place de la Concorde at the other.  Here are a few shots of some things that caught my eye in the gardens, followed by some other snaps of general Parisian inspiration!






The following bronze sculptures by Germaine Richier fascinated me.  They're chessboard pieces, and I wonder if they are a little like gremlins (or even gargoyles), who might come alive at night and play wonderfully devilish games of chess and other impish enigmas...




Not far from our hotel was the train station, and just alongside it was this interesting Tower of Time:



Further on was the Opera House – and this is a truly stunning piece of architecture.  After ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the roof sculptures and wondering quite how they keep the gold paint/patina/colour (whatever it is!) so bright, one of the first things I noticed was...



...a lady sitting on the steps outside the front of the Opera house, reading to her daughter (presumably).  I loved this moment of reading, being that books are so important to me; a story inside a storybook, it piqued my curiosity and asked questions of me...but as I was sightseeing, my camera, not my notebook, was in my hand so I snapped the plot-note instead of jotting it down.

Still snapping away, I caught the spectacular upper facade and suddenly discovered a new daydream: one day, my Future Mr Fabulous Hunk, uHHHHHkkk Hunk, Hall dressed up and decked out (listen up, whoever you are!), will take me to see the opera at the Paris Opera House, and I will LOVE it!



One of my favourite finds in Paris was Cafe Illy, at 13 rue Auber just along from the Opera House.  An Italian brand of coffee whose cafe popped up just when we were in need of a sup-and-sit-down, we were drawn in by Illy’s innovative chrome chandelier of cups, and kept there by the thick, rich and delicious hot chocolate they served.  Yum, yum!




Speaking of which, I feel it’s time to put the kettle on...so I’ll be back tomorrow to tell you about the Musee d’Orsay and my love for Monet.  Now, where's the marshmallows?

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